Automatic dispenser for paper towels



A ril 1, 1969 K. R. BARTLESON AUTOMATIC DISPENSER FOR PAPER TOWELS Sheet Filed Dec. 22. 1966 Mn N B R. m N m K v April 1, 1969 K. R. BARTLESON 3,

AUTOMATIC DISPENSER FOR PAPER TOWELS Filed Dec. 22, 1966 Sheet 2 r 5 FIG. 2.

KENNETH R BARTLESON I NVENT OR ATTORNEY April 1, 1969 K. R. BARTLESON 3,436,001

- AUTOMATIC DISPENSER FOR PAPER TOWELS FIG. 3.

KENNETH R. BARTLESON INVENTOR ATTORNEY April 1, 1969 Sheet Filed Dec 22, 1966 m 2 M M 5m rfnqv :k 00, @m 4 w M w 7 0 6 2 9 M w w 8 Lwmm 5 W 4 Us KENNETH R. BARTLESON INVENTOR ATTORNEY April 1, 1969 K. R. BARTLESON 7 AUTOMATIC DISPENSER FOR PAPER TOWELS Sheet Filed Dec. 22, 1966 FIG 6'.

KENNETH R. BARTLESON INVENTOR wm yiz lz/ ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,436,001 AUTOMATIC DISPENSER FOR PAPER TOWELS Kenneth R. Bartleson, 824 W. 34th St., Baltimore, Md. 21211 Filed Dec. 22, 1966, Ser. No. 604,029 Int. Cl. A47k 10/38 U.S. Cl. 225100 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Individual paper towels from perforated roll stock are dispensed individually by this machine. A push button signals a motor to carry the end of the toweling across an area where longitudinal tension is applied by dilfering peripheral speed rollers and a belt. This tension causes serverance at the perforation line of the toweling and the individual towel is thrust from an exit port. A drive chain which rotates the rollers carries a finger around the chain path to time the drive cycle by controlling a sensitive switch. The motor drive compartment is independently enclosed from the towel supply and feed section. When the closure for the latter is opened it separates the cooperative portions of the feed mechanism to facilitate the loading of a replacement roll of stock' toweling.

This invention relates generally to dispensers, and more particularly it pertains to a dispenser for serving individual sheets from rolls of paper toweling. The invention applies equally as well to perforated saran Wrapping, wax paper, and foil wrap.

Individual sheet toweling is usually more expensive than roll stock. Also, unless carefully handled, some times the toweling is ejected from the dispenser in bunches in a wasteful manner.

It is an object of this invention to provide a paper towel dispenser for home or public places which operates to automatically serve a single sheet at a time from roll stock.

Another object of this invention is to provide a towel dispenser which has means for selective choice of a single sheet or plurality of sheet servings.

To provide a towel dispenser which cannot be forced to w astefully dispense extended lengths to toweling, is another object of this invention.

Other objects and attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent and understood from the following detailed specification and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective drawing of .a dispenser for paper towels shown with the compartment lids open and minus the roll of toweling;

FIG. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the drive compartment portion of the dispenser with lids closed, taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but taken on line 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view showing details of the left hand journal box; and

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the electrical connections of the paper towel dispenser.

Referring now to the details of the invention as shown in FIG. 1, reference numeral .10 indicates generally a dispenser incorporating features of this invention. The dispenser 10 consists of a pair of drive and storage compartments 12 and 14, respectively, separated by a common bulkhead 16. The drive compartment 12 is provided with a pocketed lid 18 mounted on a hinge 19 3,436,001 Patented Apr. 1, 1969 while the storage compartment 14 has a similar lid 20 on hinge 21.

An electric motor 28 having a gear box 30 is mounted in the drive compartment on a bracket 22. Screws 24 in slots 26 permit vertical positioning adjustment.

As shown best in FIGS. 2 and 3, the drive shaft 32 extending from the gear box 30 is provided with a sprocket 34. An endless chain 44 passes around this sprocket 34 and in sequence around sprockets 36, 38 and 40. The latter sprocket 40 is an idler for taking up the slack in the chain 44 and for this reason is journal-mounted on a slot 42 in bulkhead 16.

The sprocket 36 is mounted on the end of a shaft 48, while the sprocket 38 is mounted on the end of shaft 52, with both shafts 48 and 52 extending through the bulkhead 16 and across'the top of the storage compartment 14 previously mentioned. The back sprocket 36 is provided with more teeth than the front sprocket 38 so as to cause shaft 48 to rotate at a slower rate than shaft 52.

As best shown in FIG. 4, the shafts 48 and 52 are provided with rubber facings of the same outer diameters to form lower back and lower front rollers 46 and 50, respectively. The shafts 48 and 52 rotate in journal blocks 54; one secured on screws 56 to the bulkhead 16, the other secured similarly to the right end of storage compartment 14.

These journal blocks 54 are machined with shallow depressions 60 within which the ends of a plate 58 seat. This plate 58 has finger holes 62 to permit its easy removal when access is desired to compartment 14.

The lower rollers 46 and 50 are opposed, respective ly, by rollers 64 and 70 wherever the compartment lid 20 is closed. Both rollers 64 and 70 are of steel, the former being fabricated in several parts to permit the installation of a pair of spaced idler rollers 68 of nylon. Rollers 68 thus are free-turning in spaces 66 with respect to their supporting roller 64.

Spring-biased floating journal blocks 74 and 76 support these rollers 64 and 70* in the lid 20. The right hand upper journal block 74 is of one piece as shown best in FIG. 1. The left hand journal block 76, best shown in FIG. 5, is of two piece construction comprising parts 76A and 76B held together by screws 80. Both journal blocks 74 and 76 have journal holes 82 for the shafts. Vertical slots 84 allow the journal blocks 74 and 76 to float freely on studs 86 welded to the end-walls 88 of the lid 20. Compression coiled springs 90 in pockets 92 urge the blocks 74 and 76 downwardly.

A pair of circumferential grooves 72 are machined in the upper front roller 70 on centers corresponding to the spacing of the idler roller 68. A pair of endless belts 94 pass around the grooves 72 in the front roller 70 and around their opposing idler rollers 68 in the spaces 66 of the back roller 64.

The toweling paper P in rolls and having transverse perforations is supported in a center trough 96 between end plates 98 within storage compartment 14. The end of the paper P is reeved upwardly from the roll stock and over the back roller 46.

When the lid 20 is closed and fastened by hasps 104, the belts 94 bear down upon the paper P which lies across the plate 58. The belts are driven by frictional contact whenever the lower rollers 46 and 50 are rotated by motor 28.

The end of the paper P is thus carried forward to pass between the front rollers 50 and 70 and then thrust across a curved lip 102 and through an exit slot 100'. Since the front roller 40 is being rotated by the smaller sprocket 38, its peripheral speed will be greater than that of the back roller 46 and the paper P extending therebetween becomes strongly tensioned lengthwise. When a weakened portion of the paper P, such as the transverse perforations arrives, the paper tears itself at such location.

The motor 28 is initially started by momentarily depressing a push button 108. A microswitch 110 takes over the operation then as will now be related. As shown best in FIG. 3, the microswitch 110 is attached to an adjustable switch block 112 which, in turn, is secured to the endwall 116 of lid 18 by screws 114. The underside of the switch block 112 supports a Teflon covered actuator spring 118 on screws 120.

The free end of spring 118 extends under the microswitch 110 and tends to bear downwardly upon a Teflon covered backing plate 122. This plate 122 is adjustably mounted by screws 124 to the bulkhead 16 and is rounded off at the ends. An actuating finger 126 welded to the side of the drive chain 44 initially separates the spring 118 and plate 122.

When chain 44 moves, withdrawing finger 126 from this space above the plate 122 and below the actuator spring 118, the latter is caused to move away from the microswitch 110. The normally-closed circuit thereof closes to maintain the power to motor 28 even when the push button 108 is released.

Motor 28 continues to operate and the individual sheet of paper P is thrust from the exit slot 100. When actuator finger 126 returns adjacent actuator spring 118, the microswitch 110 is caused to open its circuit and the motor 28 stops. If it is desired to eject several sheets of paper P in succession, a switch 106 of the toggle or slide type may be connected in parallel with the push button 108 as shown in FIG. 6.

The electrical circuitry may be confined for safety by securing the lid 18 in closed position by means of a threaded locking tab 128 thereon and a screw 130 passed through bulkhead 16 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A dispenser for dispensing sheets from a roll of sheet material having weakened transverse lines between the sheets to be dispensed, comprising, a housing, exit means in said housing, lower front and lower rear rollers having a space therebetween, upper front and upper rear rollers positioned in opposition with said lower front and lower rear rollers, pressure means urging said upper front and upper rear rollers toward said lower front and lower rear rollers for exerting pressure therebetween, means to feed sheet material from a roll between said upper rear and lower rear rollers and thence between said upper front and lower front rollers, means for guiding and moving said sheet material being fed from said roll between said upper rear and lower rear rollers and thence between said upper front and lower front rollers including a plate member positioned between said lower rear and lower front rollers, and spaced frictional endless belts positioned around said upper rear and upper front rollers for frictionally engaging said sheet material being fed from said roll of sheet material, and means to drive said upper front and lower front rollers at a greater peripheral speed than said upper rear and lower rear rollers to exert tension in said sheet material at said weakened transverse lines in said roll to separate a sheet to be dispensed, with said upper front and lower front rollers thrusting the resulting severed sheet from said dispenser housing through said exit means, said upper roller being formed of a plurality of rollers, with spaced idler nylon rollers spaced between said upper rear rollers for mounting said spaced frictional endless belts.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 804,307 1l/ 1905 Fonda 225- 977,418 11/1910 McEachron 225100 1,647,305 11/1927 Peters 83-204 1,810,403 6/1931 Rupp 225-100 2,252,736 8/1941 Sherman et al. 225-100 2,513,093 6/1950 Hageman 225100 2,771,950 11/1956 Smith 225l00 JAMES M. MEISTER, Primary Examiner. 

